The Uruguayan – whose most notable contribution for us came with an incredible overhead kick against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 – has spent the season on loan at the Stadium of Light, but had seemingly failed to make an impact at the club, and has been largely in the background for most of the campaign, as the team battle to stay in the Premier League.

When their current boss Dick Advocaat took over, the side were a place and a point above the bottom three, and on an alarming slide that looked destined to result in Championship football next year.

In the last four games, the 24-year-old has been back in the first-team and has been part of a much more assured back four. While they go into the final day with relegation still a possibility, it would take some surprising results for that to happen. Coates’ influence has been a major factor behind their improvement in recent weeks. His stint in the side has seen Costel Pantilimon only picking up the ball out of his net on two occasions, and in none of the games, have they gone on to lose.

According to the Sunderland Echo, Advocaat believes that the run in the team will benefit the player, after a couple of years ravaged by injury.

“Nobody expected the way Coates would play,” he began.

“He’s been very solid in the last couple of games, so that gives him the confidence.

“When you come in (as head coach) then you have expectations for players.

“And in the past he had hardly started a game.

“But we saw him improving in training and in some things I was not so happy with Santi, so I thought we’d put him in.